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March 17, 2013

So Utterly Trivial!

It didn't quite achieve the comedic heights of the "Helena faked Lucky's death and it was hilarious" caper, but Heather and Todd's dead baby switch was a constant source of amusement to all of us, right? Or it was to some of us, at least. Namely Todd Manning. That scamp!

As Louise ranted on Facebook, Todd had a run-in with Sam that was basically the opposite of everything I've ever wanted for these two characters from an entertainment standpoint and it was also incredibly angry-making.

Todd: Sam, we live in the same town. We're gonna run into each other. Don't you think? Sam: You think you just got away with it. Stealing my son, leaving me to grieve. Todd: You got your kid back. Why can't it be over? Sam: Because it's not. Todd: Okay. You're an angry Sam. I see that. I get it. You want revenge. I know how that feels. Sam: Well, maybe, one day, something really awful will happen to your family. Then you can tell me you know how it feels.

Rage, right? RAGE.

Okay, first of all, THIS WAS THE ENTIRETY OF THEIR CONFRONTATION and I'm sorry to YELL AT YOU IN CAPS LOCK, but I am angry that what could have been an EPIC confrontation was reduced to a couple of dozen words when it could have taken place over the course of the entire week or, at the very least, a few different scenes! It's only sort of a huge deal! I mean, it's clearly not as huge as Todd and Carly's estrangement, which is the most important thing to ever take place in the history of Port Charles (stalking and non-consensual video surveillance are also pretty hilarious to the GH writers. "Creepy? More like cre---creazy that these crazy kids can't work it out, amirite?!"), but still!

The writing--and Roger Howarth's performance--were so tone-deaf and wrong that it actually IS almost funny in how spectacularly it misses the point. Like, Todd was so irritated that he had to have this conversation with this random lady (who was destroyed--albeit temporarily, like, get over it, woman!--by his actions) instead of creepily monitoring the woman he's crushing on. And peeved at having a conversation that was so below him, like Sam was the one being petty over borrowed clothes.

"Ohmigod, Sam. Are you really going to roll your eyes at me every time you see me? I'm sorry that you're upset with me for returning your sweater with a hole in it, but it was an accident. Can't we just move on? It's not like it's cashmere!"

Comments

You make a good point; I think the writers need to do more with Sam than just making her get all googly eyed over John; remember when she did super cool stuff as a PI? Yeah, I would like to see more of that. Sam has been pretty boring lately and whatever happened to that memorial service that she was supposed to planning for Jason? Did the writers just drop it because they were mad Steve Burton jumped ship and went to Y + R? They could have done a lot of great stuff with that, including some stuff with AJ, Carly and Sonny, but instead everyone moved on really fast from his death.

Still, I think the redeeming factor of that episode was that a whole dialogue was constructed with Spinelli and Kevin just to show AJ and Elizabeth staring at each other for 90 sec. I had to laugh out loud at that, because they were literally just panning between the two of them, but I absolutely loved it. It looked like AJ was about to cry.

My hope for next week is that AJ will end this rouse with Carly and beg Elizabeth to give him another chance. Every step of their relationship makes me jump for joy.

Liz's "death stare" at AJ was the ONLY worthwhile thing to happen in the entire episode.

I never anticipated anything "epic" from a Todd/Sam confrontation scene (actually I've never anticipated anything epic from a scene with Sam in it because the actress is rather muted.) I think Roger Howarth has been playing Todd Manning with lots of gusto but the writing of the character is so poor. He seemed to be "going through the motions" in that scene and nothing to play off of or up to.

I think overall GH is in poor shape and has been since January 1st. No amount of "returns" has reinvigorated the show because the writing is horrible.

Sorry Mallory, I wish I could work up some rage too, but since Sam rarely paid for her numerous misdeeds, I have no sympathy.

Love Liz's reaction. Love Liz in general.

Who's the mysterious funder of the Nurse's Ball? Helena? Is this connected to the Ice Princess? Laura was supposed to be coming back to PC with a "secret". That has to be more than her engagement to Scotty. DO you think it's connectd?

I think this behavior is in keeping with Todd from the 90's. When he was with Tea he did horrible things to her! Verbal abuse, mind games, and manipulation. And when he was confronted, he was very blase' about it. And the stalking behavior and begging for forgiveness is exactly how he behaved with Tea. I remember one scene where he admitted that he loved pushing her away to see if he could get her back! RH's delivery isn't as intense as it was back then. To me he seems less wounded and more sociopathic now. I would love to see the writers give him another twisted power struggle of a relationship, a la 50 Shades of Grey!

Honestly, I just can't get too upset for Sam. After all of crap she has pulled and not had to pay for her actions, I can't muster up much sympathy for her. At least she gets her child back. Unlike Tea. She is the one that I feel for. And I never really cared for Tea. Really, I almost wish Liz had happened on the "confrontation" and she could've laid a "Pot. Kettle. Black." comment on them. At least Tea isn't a crazy woman wanting to raise a baby. If anyone should sort of understand Todd's stupid behavior in this baby switch/kidnapping it should be Sam. Since she allowed something VERY SIMILAR to happen to Jason's other kid. Soooo, STFU Sam. And wishing harm to fall on Todd's family? Why the hell didn't he start talking about the dramas of his Manning/Lord/Kramer family? Like: Todd's crazy abusive childhood, his biological mother dumping him and then KIDNAPPING HIM FOR 8 YEARS--all the while TORTURING HIM and having his doppleganger brother programmed to replace him. You know, the quick stuff. It isn't like Todd hasn't had some crazy crap happen to him. Plenty of it self inflicted, but not all of it.

Not saying that Todd and Sam should be BFFs. And the less said about Todd secretly filming Jocelyn's home the better. Cause how freaking long will that giant stuff toy be in a useful 'Carly filming' area? Surely it will get shoved into Jocelyn's room soon and we all know that Carly doesn't spend much time in her children's rooms.

As for the NB's funding, I don't know why it shouldn't be either Scott or Nik. Both have connections to the hospital and have plenty of cash. But I'm sure that it will be someone else. Since I don't know why Scott, Nik, Brenda or Jax wouldn't be contacted and eager to support the NB. Robin was Brenda's little sister for most of her teen/early adult years. Which is why I had issues with the Brenda return and it was like she and Robin hadn't talked in YEARS. Which I will never believe.

I could hardly focus on little else in the episode thanks to Liz and AJ's epic World Eye War going on while Spinelli chattered away. They even distracted me from Kevin's presence, they were hysterical.

I like to think their entire silent exchange went thusly:

AJ: "Elizabeth, I'm sorry-"

Elizabeth, with the biggest eyeroll ever: "Oh, just %@#$ off! Can't believe I even considered dating you, asshat!"

AJ: "But if you just let me explain..."

Elizabeth, without blinking once for an entire segment: "Dude, do not even think about coming over here. I will cut you with many surgical instruments."

AJ, who basically looks like a wounded labrador puppy: "But I really want to tell you the truth."

Elizabeth: "Try it, motherf****r."

Pretty much the best silent beatdown for me. Loved it.

Also really loved the Nurses Ball scenes. Lucy being adorable, and yeah... I didn't *hate* Sabrina in them. She acted... okay? I guess? Felix is awesome, though.

Apparently Sam is supposed to be cool with people kidnapping her child because she once let a child get kidnapped years ago when she was at the lowest point of her life, something she regretted openly and apologized for repeatedly (and it's not like anyone was offended enough to press charges against her OR the actual kidnapper)? What Sam did years ago was wrong. That doesn't actually mean people are allowed to kidnap her child now. Hating the man who made you grieve for your son is not hypocrisy.

Anyway, Todd never has to pay for his crimes but at least there was a time where he sincerely seemed haunted by them. This was awful. Are we supposed to be rooting for him to get together with the woman he's spying on now?

Sam got caught with what she did to Jake. Pure and simple. She enjoyed taunting Liz, Jason and Lucky that Jake was probably dead when SHE knew that Maureen had kidnapped the baby from the park. THAT my folks is pure evil. To top that off, Sam maliciously went out and hired two armed men to go after a freaking mother, a three month old baby, and a three year old child. RAGE? Sam even tried to bluff her way out of hiring the men by telling Jason that she did it to teach him a lesson that Liz and her children would never be safe around him. RAGE. We're talking effing pure evil. Sam never once stepped forward and admitted that she did anything wrong, until she was confronted by Jason, Liz and Lucky.

If Sam had openly admitted what she did to baby Jake on two separate occasions, had a breakdown where she had to go to Shadybrook or even Ferncliff and we actually SAW that she knew her actions were wrong and was shunned by the entire town UNTIL she redeemed herself in some other fashion than the contrived story line that had her rescuing Jake from that road house. RAGE.

Todd is a major screw up and a loser. His sins will always come out, and we have never once been able to say that about Sam.

I have to agree with LadyBug about the difference between Todd and Sam. Sam never paid for harming Liz and her children, just like Luke and why I no longer like Luke. Sam's entire history has been whitewashed whereas Todd's misdeeds come up over and over again and he was imprisoned for his crimes and no stranger to a jail cell or courtroom. The entire town of Llanview knew Todd as scum and so does Port Charles. Sam (nor Luke) was never ever considered the town pariah. Liz's cheating on Lucky has been regularly referenced for years now and she committed no crime.

Sam didn't "pay" for what she did because Liz, Lucky, and Jason did not press charges. No one ever asked her to pay. Jake's biological father was a hitman and died a free man. Lots of people get away with crimes on this show. Sam's was hardly the worst.

It doesn't make it okay to kidnap her child. But Todd got away with it and laughed at her for it. Of course she's upset. You don't have to like her to know why that's the case.

It bothers me more that the confrontation between Todd and Sam was ridiculously underplayed and shallow, moreso than Todd not paying for his crimes.

I don't particularly like Todd, but I do like the FACT that he's perpetually the outcast and is generally called out by people. To me, that element makes him infinitely more watchable/tolerable than Sun Knee and Jayson.

I'll qualify that by saying all that may go out the window if they go Tarly hardcore, because they suck as a romantic pairing. Really. Two legitimately bad people doing the overplayed "ride or die and hurt other people without any guilt" Guza gig? Do not want.

[quote]Sam didn't "pay" for what she did because Liz, Lucky, and Jason did not press charges. No one ever asked her to pay.[/quote]
Which was also BS. With criminal charges it isn't the victim who presses charges, it is the state. And the state can compel witnesses to testify. IIRC, it was Jason who announced that Sam didn't need to punished further. That she had been punished enough. And of course Liz went right along with St. Jasus' proclaimation.

And no, Sam has a right to upset about her child being kidnapped. But she has some damn gall to pass judgement on anyone about it. Especially on Todd. As Ladybug pointed out, Sam pulled some epic evil shit on Liz and kids. And she the only price she had to pay was to be shunned by the townsfolk awhile. No breakdowns. No bouts of mental anguish. Nothing. It was all justified by her as proof of her love and devotion to St. Jasus of Port Charles. Heck, she even got to sleep with Lucky for sometime.

Sonny and St. Jasus are slimy cold blood murders. And yes, it is a shame that the show refuses to have them treated like the criminals they are. But Sam PAYING THUGS to terrify a young mother and her two small children is pretty monsterous. And allowing a new baby to be kidnapped and not say a damn word isn't any better. But hey, at least she didn't kill Liz, Cam or Jake?

Sam isn't the worst person in PC. She should be upset about her lost time with Danny. But she really isn't someone who should be damning people she believes/knows that wronged her. Especially when it comes to child safety issues.

Who did, and didn't pay for what is not at issue. Lord knows, if having to truly pay for ones sins was a soap staple, the cast would change quicker than the outfits. As Kim so rightly pointed out, Todd deflecting is not new, but Todd not being conflicted is. Not only does it not do right by the character, but, as Mallory pointed out, it does harm.

Sam had St. Jaysus threaten her life! He's never done that to a female, ever I don't think on this show. Which is saying something because St. Jaysus was very threaten-y all the time. And I do not recall Sam scoffing at Liz/Jason being pissed at her when they found out, like they were ridiculous for being angry.
I do not like this Todd. He seems to be written differently than when he FIRST came on GH. I'm telling you - somehow, some way, pairing a man with Carly has a mushroom affect and everything goes to shit. Now that he likes Carly? Everyone can F-OFF. As someone above pointed out, this a very Guza-esque coupling. If RH stays at GH in the long run, I don't think I can watch this show (after Brenda leaves, of course)

For the record, I never said Sam shouldn't be pissed about Todd kidnapping Danny. I only agreed with differences between Todd's treatment versus Sam's for their various crimes. In fact, I like Sam at her most villainous because it was her most interesting. Sam is a spineless character (so is present-day Alexis) therefore any "confrontation" involving this woman lacks impact. The entire The Davis Coven needs personality transplants! Those women are pathetic and whiny.

Yes, Jason threatened Sam's life which really did not mean very much, because he took her back two years later, married her and she had his child. Sam (IMO) was a fool to take back a man that threatened to end her life and knew that Jason meant every word he said. How do you chase after a man (yes, Sam chased Jason from late 2008 until Mexico) knowing full well that he could end your life without a single thought?

Sam should be pissed at Todd for what he did to Danny, but she should also remember that she did much, much worse to Jake, Liz, Cam, Jason and Lucky.

Sam didn't "pay" for what she did because Liz, Lucky, and Jason did not press charges.
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Lucky was a police officer at the time and should have arrested Sam instead of taking her back and allowing her access to Elizabeth's children. What a punk. Seriously. Lucky finds out what Sam did to Cam and Jake and he takes her back? What kind of message does that send to two small children and their mother? That your sex life is more important than a mother and her children?

Jason threatened Sam's life and eventually took her back. How do you explain to your child that the woman you married and had a baby with tried to kill you six years earlier?